TIMELINE OF IRISH LITERATURE

from 600 BCE to 1850 CE

  LATE GAELIC FLOURISHING — c. 1500 CE - c. 1600 CE

Pronunciation Guide*

filí
FILL ə
Eochaidh Ó hEoghusa
AE-oh-heeð OH hee-OH-suh

Context

In England, the Tudor revolution began in 1534, when Henry VIII first denied the authority of the pope and his bishops over a sovreign, and then renounced some of the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. When he declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England, the move was not theological; it was political. He was determined to be the sole civic and religious leader, and sought to reduce the powers of any provincial rulers within his kingdom. The Anglo-Irish lords within the Pale supported Henry VIII’s new regime, especially after the Earl of Kildare was summoned to London and word was sent to Ireland that he had died. He was actually imprisoned in the Tower of Londan until 1537.

But beyond the Pale, the rest of Ireland continued to follow the old tribal and clan systems of the Gael. Most of the old Anglo-Norman families had long intermarried with the native Gaelic families. But as long as they retained a semblance of Englishness, maintained the law, and paid their feudal taxes to the Crown, they were largely left to their own devices. The most influential of these families were the FitzGeralds of Leinster (the Earl held vast estates and was also the King's governor in Ireland) the FitzGeralds of Munster, the Butlers, the Earls of Ormond, the Earls of Kildare, and the Earls of Desmond.

So when Henry dissolved the monasteries in Ireland, claiming all their property and revenues for the state, he was unprepared for the backlash, from both the the Anglo-Irish and the Gaelic Irish. Fearing that Irish refusal to accept his new church would aid Spain (a Catholic country), Henry tried to impose a military solution. But this proved too costly, so he co-opted the Gaelic Lords. Henry told the Gaelic Irish Lords that if they surrendered their titles to him and swore loyalty to him, he would re-grant them their titles under English feudal law. This move was so successful that he was able, with the help of the Irish Parliament, to establish an act that would make the King of England, and all his heirs and successors, the King of Ireland.

The Crown of Ireland Act 1542 created the Kingdom of Ireland, and changed the character of the relationship between Ireland and England. It introduced a far more bloody future and laid the foundation for sectratian hatreds that still continue in Ireland to the present day. It was the opening salvo in the Tudor Plantations. After Henry's death, his daughter, Mary, began the British colonization of Ireland in the 1550s.

Characteristics

Continuity of Bardic Tradition

These professional hereditary poets continued to compose highly formal, syllabic poetry for Gaelic chieftains, praising their patrons and lamenting their misfortunes. This was a direct continuation of medieval forms. One of the earliest sholars of this field, Osborn Bergin, noted in a 1912 lecture that,

Bardic Poetry of any period is easily distinguished by its form. A great deal of it is not really what a modern critic would call poetry in the higher sense. But though it may lack inspiration, it is never wanting in artistic finish. For we must remember that the Irish fili or bard was not necessarily an inspired poet. That he could not help. He was, in fact, a professor of literature and a man of letters, highly trained in the use of a polished literary medium, belonging to a hereditary caste in an aristocratic society, holding an official position therein by virtue of his training, his learning, his knowledge of the history and traditions of his country and his clan. He discharged, as O'Donovan pointed out many years ago, the functions of the modern journalist. He was not a song writer. He was often a public official, a chronicler, a political essayist, a keen and satirical observer of his fellow-countrymen.

Prose Narratives

Continuation of heroic and mythological tales, often copied and adapted in manuscripts.

Beginnings of Religious Prose

The Protestant Reformation, though less pervasive than in other parts of Europe, still had some impact in Ireland, leading to early translations of religious texts into Irish.

Emergence of Print

While manuscript culture remained dominant for Irish, the advent of the printing press in England began to influence the dissemination of prose in English.

Key Events

Tudor Conquests (late 15^th - 16^th century)

Increased English attempts to assert control over Ireland, leading to significant political and cultural shifts.

Religious Reformation (16^th century)

While Protestantism made limited inroads in the Gaelic-speaking areas, it influenced the linguistic landscape and the content of some religious writing.

Notable Authors and Works

Eochaidh Ó hEoghusa (late 16^th century):

One of the most distinguished bardic poets, reflecting the high point of the tradition.

* These guides use five special symbols, taken from Mark Williams' Ireland’s Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth, Princeton UP, 2016.

ə	the uh sound at the end of sofa
ɣ	a throaty gh sound, similar to the -ch in Scots loch but further back and down in the gullet. Not to be confused with the letter "y"
kh	the ch in Scots loch, spelled with a k– to avoid confusion with the ch in English child.
ð	the th– sound at the start of those, that, and than, which is different from the th– sound at the beginning of thick, thin, or think.
ʸ	indicates that the preceding consonant is "palatal," that is, accompanied by a y-glide like the m in mew or the c in cute (contrast moo and coot). This often occurs at the end of a word: in a form like the place-name Crúachain, which would be KROO-əkh-ənʸ. The y is there simply to indicate that the final consonant is pronounced like the first n in onion; it does not add a syllable.